In her misguided and ill-advised attempt to exercise control on the affairs of the largest independent Muslim organisation, the MCB, which has steadfastly and with honesty represented the views of Muslims over the years, Hazel Blears has used my attendance at the Global Anti-Aggression Campaign conference and the signing of a position document as the peg to hang her coat on. Her latest claim as stated in a letter on her behalf to our secretary-general and published in the Guardian today is that I signed a document "advocating attacks on Jewish communities all around the world". She had not raised this allegation before yesterday and it is entirely untrue.

The official communiqué of the Global Anti-Aggression Campaign conference thanked the Turkish government for its political stand towards the war on Gaza and allowing the conference to be convened in Istanbul. Despite his public condemnation of the war, prime minister Tayeb Erdogan's government maintained its strong diplomatic ties with Israel. On several occasions during and after the war he reaffirmed that his government would not tolerate any acts of antisemitism in Turkey. Contrary to Hazel Blears, the Turkish government did not interpret the Istanbul declaration to advocate attacks on Jews.

In her letter to the MCB, Blears wrote: "We have particular concerns around paragraphs II.7 and II.8. Although the wording of these paragraphs is not exact, it is clear that the intention behind them is to call for attacks on Jews throughout the world and to retaliate against any action which could be taken by the British government in sending naval forces to prevent arms smuggling into Gaza. While the wording is not specific, both the tone and content of these paragraphs call for violence."

Although the letter to the MCB from the government says the wording of the document is "not exact" and "not specific", Blears affirms in her letter to Guardian with astounding certainty that it "advocates attacks on Jewish communities all around the world".

We have arrived at the stage where the secretary of state is now attributing an "intention" which in fact does not exist. While it is true that dictators often persecute their people for what they assume their intention is and not their actions, this has never been a feature of life in a mature democracy.

The focus of Blears' latest sudden concerns is item 7 of the document which talks about the political "position" towards those who support the Israeli ("Zionist entity") crimes – and they are crimes, as Israel is committing actions which are illegal and contrary to international law. The paragraph does not suggest in any way how to react to those who support Israel. More importantly, it refers to those who support Israeli crimes in general including Arabs and Muslims, as was clear from other parts of the statement which criticised the Arab regimes more than anyone else. However, none of these autocratic regimes interpreted this statement as a call for violence or attack on them or anyone else.

For the purposes of clarity, my position remains as follows:

1. I did not call for or support attacks on British troops anywhere in the world. As a British citizen, I have the right to criticise and campaign against government political decisions that embroil young British soldiers in illegal occupations and interventions. One of the reasons I joined the demonstrations against the war in Iraq was to prevent the sacrifice of young soldiers in an illegal war. For this reason I was the first to go to Baghdad in 2004 to seek the release of the British hostage, Ken Bigley, despite threats to my life in Iraq and here in the UK after I returned. This move was welcomed by the government at the time, but it seems some have a short memory.

2. Unlike his predecessor, prime minister Brown has promised that any such future intervention would only be carried out after it is endorsed by parliament. All the assertions made by the secretary of state are based on conjecture and totally hypothetical scenarios.

3. I am absolutely opposed to any attack or violence directed against innocent persons of any faith or no faith anywhere in the world. To claim that I call for attacks on Jewish communities throughout the world is completely false and an inflammatory and malicious assault on my beliefs, words and actions.

4. The Palestinians have the right to resist Israel's illegal occupation, a right supported by international law and the Charter of the UN. In the same way as it is a common British value to respect international law and support justice and freedom of oppressed people, I, along with the Muslim community and large sections of the wider British society, support the rights of the Palestinians.

5. If anything good is to emerge from this saga it should be the affirmation of the independence of MCB. However much Hazel Blears may dislike or disagree with its views she should respect this independence and deal with its representatives as equal citizens, just as it deals with the representatives of other communities.

I have no intention of bowing to the pressure from Hazel Blears to resign. The MCB will continue to make its positive contributions toward a just and fair society.